Senior News 

YEAR 11 GEOGRAPHY

Students recently visited Kinglake to explore Hydrometeorological Hazards and disasters, with a specific focus on Bushfires and the impacts it had on the town of Kinglake following the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires. At their first stop Mason Falls and Lyrebird Walking Track, students collected primary data relevant to the environmental impacts such as regrowth and species numbers.

The second stop in the town of Kinglake saw students taking meaningful observations on how the town seems to be thriving in a social and economic sense 16 years on. There were some nice interactions with people from the town that were happy to share their experiences of the town at current, before the fires and even during the fires.

Year 11 Geography Student, Mia B   

On the 12th of March Unit 1&2 Geography students went on a fieldtrip to Kinglake. During the day we visited a range of sites. These included: The Lyrebird Track, Mason Falls and the town of Kinglake. From this we were able to see the areas that were damaged during the Black Saturday fires. By travelling to the area we could see physical evidence of regrowth in the environment, as well as the recovery of businesses and the local tourism. Ultimately, this will be helpful for the write up of the fieldwork by answering the question: ‘What are the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the Black Saturday bushfires from the 7th of February 2009 on Kinglake and to what extent has Kinglake recovered from these impacts?’

Thank you to Emma Carberry and Jett Cheney for all their support and assistance with the day! It was a very memorable experience.

Sam Connell – Year 11 Geography Teacher